Overview & Reviews

Nissan was born in Japan, and like other marques from its homeland, the brand is known for crafting vehicles that place an emphasis on quality and reliability. The company's roster of products is broad, and includes sporty coupes, family sedans, minivans, trucks and SUVs.

The automaker got its start in 1933 as the Jidosha Seico Co., Ltd. The following year, this outfit merged with another Japanese manufacturer, and the new company was christened Nissan Motor Company, Ltd. Nissan initially marketed its vehicles under the Datsun brand, with the first Datsuns being built in 1934. Postwar, the brand made its presence felt worldwide, building a partnership with the U.K.-based Austin Motor Co. and establishing a presence in the United States. The first Datsuns hit American shores in 1958. Vehicles like the Datsun 1000 were based on Austin platforms.

The '60s witnessed Nissan's merger with Prince Motor Company, a union that helped the Asian manufacturer create more luxury-focused vehicles. In the U.S. it began offering its first vehicle styled for the U.S. market, the Datsun 510 sedan. By the end of the decade, Datsun had exported more than 1 million vehicles. Datsun rose to prominence in the 1970s on the popularity of its 240Z sports car. Powered by an inline six-cylinder engine, the car was coveted for its blend of style, performance and affordability. By the time the '70s drew to a close, the automaker's cumulative vehicle exports had surpassed the 10 million mark.

In 1981, Nissan shelved the Datsun name and began selling vehicles worldwide under the Nissan moniker. The '80s also saw Nissan's launch of a tuning division called Nismo for the development of performance-oriented vehicles and accessories. Nissan also brought its production to American shores, with the construction of a Georgia-based plant.

The early '90s saw Nissan's fortunes rise in the U.S. thanks to fun-to-drive cars like the 300ZX, Maxima and Sentra. But this trend didn't last long and by the late '90s Nissan's offerings consisted of anonymous vehicles. The company's future was uncertain.

After the turn of the new century Nissan bounced back, helped by a 1999 alliance with Renault that boosted the company's finances. Its redesigned Sentra and Altima boosted sales and consumer interest, as did new models like the 350Z sports car, Armada SUV and Titan pickup. Today the manufacturer is known for offering a wide range of well-regarded vehicles, including the popular Murano SUV, the incredible GT-R supercar and the all-electric Leaf.

User Reviews:

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  I was pleased until recently - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By ds foley - December 20 - 10:23 am

  I have loved this car since I purchased it! I am in sales and live in my car during the day and had no problems until the past six months. It has been noisy for quite a while but after changing the tires and both hub assemblies we determined that it was the transmission. This car has 130,000 miles on it and is a 2005. Ive probably had noise for at least 30,000 miles. The dealer is the only one that can do the work and its expensive. I still dont know what Im going to do. Ive already put a lot of money into it this year. Im so disappointed. Ive owned a number of cars and have never had a problem of this magnitude at such a low mileage.

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  2008 Rogue - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By rm101 - December 20 - 7:05 am

  I have a 2008 Rogue ALS. This car has been taken to the dealership several times, and the dealership says nothing is wrong. My car was under warranty and the transmission was slipping, they said nothing is wrong. Now the car is not under warranty and I cannot even drive it. I have pushed the pedal to the floor and barely go. The dealership now wants to charge to look at it and our dealership is closing and they cannot do anything out it. My car is a 2008 model and has only 52,000 miles. A car this new should not have problems like this. I fully intend to call Nissan and complain. They are not customer oriented. We bought two cars from them within a months time.

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  Worst Quest by far - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By V. Chai - December 20 - 2:00 am

  3 days on the road, the engine malfunction light went on. The computer had to be reprogrammed and an engine part replaced. Took 4 days to diagnose and repair! Now 2 weeks later, found out the right sliding door itself unbelievably scratching the side of the body making scratch marks both inside and out! Armrest,sliding door,rear window on left side are too loose while those on the right too tight. Gas consumption is almost 40% more than the spec, and definitely more than my moms SUV. Felt totally betrayed by its looks.

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  nissaN - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By artmcdonald1@aol.com - December 20 - 2:00 am

  very tight, suspension is overly hard, however, handles curves @ turns extremely well...first gear is too low, most starts can be made in 2nd. Brembo brakes are killer.....

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  350z - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By jacob123 - December 20 - 2:00 am

  Its the best thing in the market!

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  Love it Love it - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By MZLDL - December 20 - 2:00 am

  Best car I have ever had. Enough said. These people putting it down need to quit being so critical. Not every car is perfect!

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  comfortable truck - 2010 Nissan Frontier
  By jcl - December 20 - 1:56 am

  A big improvement over my old chevy S10. Very quiet and comfortable highway ride, reasonable economy (19.1 mpg after 1000 miles). Impressive acceleration and thoughtful bed rail system are appreciated. However, it lacks in available amenities. Every road bum sends an annoying jump up the steering wheel. The auto-transmission keeps going into overdrive too soon, its especially bad going uphill and the manual override is poorly implemented. However, at startup, the rear wheels spin very easily. The gas pedal is too light and has poor feedback. Also, the brake feels soft and unresponsive. Lastly, I keep activating wipers inadvertently - too close to the steering wheel.

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  Great Little car - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By apples - December 19 - 11:20 pm

  We bought this car new and it has been a wonderful car for my wife. The size is ideal for city driving. It now has 41000 miles on it and all we had to do was replace breaks, tires and recently a spark plug coil. Also had to replace the radio as water from the AC shorted it out. Basically it has been a good car for the money.

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  My Favorite Car - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By Brenda - December 19 - 1:53 pm

  My Altima is that pretty sage green color. I cant tell you how many people compliment the car. It acclerates well and has excellent response. The Bose sound system is a must. I can never own another car without a sunroof. You will be spoiled. My only regret is that I did not get ON-Star.

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  Awesome truck! - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Steve - December 18 - 8:46 pm

  I love this truck! It has been an incredible driving truck since my first test drive. I really was not even in the market, having just purchased a 2006 Tundra doublecab 4x4 SR5. We were at the dealership looking for a ride for my son, and I just wanted to take a ride in one, and thats all she wrote. Its a much better ride than the land barge I just bought a year ago. The v6 power plant Nissan uses is vastly superior to the gas guzzling v8 in the Tundra. I average about 20 mpg (6 spd. manual). The best I could muster in the Tundra was 16.5 mpg. I actually got 23.5 mpg on a trip to the coast! Way easier to park in tight situations than the Tundra. Check out the Frontier, it wont disappoint!!